Energy News Digest for October 28, 2009

All the links in today’s news digest lead to current stories. Please note that some media organizations update their web sites regularly, which may result in broken links in the future.

To subscribe, email jmyer@masonpud3.org

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS (Details Below)

· New York - Businesses, farms get power deal
· Environmental Assessment: No Impact for PUD 3 Proposed Operations Center on John's Prairie
· Chelan PUD Sees Little Sizzle in 2010 Budget
· PUD 3 Commission Report for October 27, 2009
· Avista Earns $8.1 Million for Quarter
· TransAlta Reports Higher Earnings
· NW Natural to Reduce Rates
· Little Consensus at States Energy Meeting in Wyoming
· Hanford - Energy Department Releases Massive Document Outlining Cleanup Options
· West Virginia Intends to Issue Coal-to-Gas Plant Permit
· Coal, Oil, Biomass Plants - Denmark's Dong Energy to shut two power station units on low demand
· Obama Putting $3.4 Billion toward A ‘Smart’ Power Grid
· Oregon Gets $30 Million in Stimulus Funds for Smart Grid Projects
· Snohomish PUD Will Use Federal Grant Money for Power Grid Innovations
· $20 Million Awarded for Avista Upgrades (
· Idaho Power Notified of Selection for $47 Million Smart Grid Investment
· Stimulus Energy Dollars: More Than Just a Jump Start
· PNGC on the List - Electric Coops Receive $215 Million for Smart Grid Investments
· WECC Gets $53.8M Grant to Improve Western Grid; SRP Part of
· Oregon - Salmon on the Run: Largest Salmon Run In Nearly A Decade Floods Sandy Hatchery
· FDA To Ban Sale of Raw Oysters from Gulf of Mexico
· Asotin PUD - Sewer Service another Detail to Work Out for Industrial Park
· Corps Maps Show Green River Flooding Scenarios (
· Ocean Acidification’s Effects Documented in New Study of Shellfish
· Profit Jumps for Wind Turbine Maker Vestas
· FPL Power Line May Complicate Texas Wind
· 3TIER Expands Geographical Coverage of Most Advanced Solar Map & Dataset
· Grant PUD Discusses Energy Conservation
· Why It’s Better To Invest In Efficiency Than to Hold Electricity Rates
· Administration Steps up Efforts on Climate Bill
· A Nuclear Power Boost for Climate Bill
· EPA Proposes Tougher Pollution Controls
· US Chamber Sues Activists over Climate Stunt
· Flu-Wary Telecommuters May Clog Web Networks
· Comcast Still Fighting FCC Throttling Sanction
· Ask.com Owner Reports Quarterly Profit, But Ad Revenue Still Slips
· Google to launch free phone-navigation service
· Heavy Rain on the Way
· South Carolina Gives First Nod To Package Meant To Lure Boeing
· Poll Finds Washington Voters Leaning Against I-1033
· Investigation Finds No Tribal Authority for Detention of Shelton Hunters at Gunpoint in Brinnon
· Seven Billion in Recovery Dollars Flowing to Washington State
· Tri-Cities Has State's Lowest Cost Of Living
· California Would Lose Seats under Census Change

WORD OF THE DAY

Luculent • \LOO-kyuh-lunt\ • adjective - Clear in thought or expression: lucid

You could hear the eyeballs rolling back in the heads of the board members. The CEO chose the least luculent of his minions to communicate the proposed buy-out of the firm’s most virulent competitor. “Lassie,” he said, “this project is all yours.”

WEATHER

Shelton Forecast and Weather Alerts
http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/forecast/mapclick.php?textfield1=47.213805&textfield2=-123.113412&site=all&smap=1&searchresult=shelton%2c%20wa%2c%20usa

ENERGY & UTILITY ISSUES

New York - Businesses, farms get power deal: New York Power Authority will take $10 million from the sale of energy unused by Alcoa to pay 10 percent of north country businesses' power bills for the next year (Watertown Daily News, NY)
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20091028/NEWS03/310289944

Environmental Assessment: No Impact for PUD 3 Proposed Operations Center on John's Prairie (KMAS Radio, Shelton, WA)
http://masoncountydailynews.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=487:environmental-assessment-no-impact-for-pud-3s-proposed-operations-center-on-johns-prairie-&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=50

Chelan PUD Sees Little Sizzle in 2010 Budget (Wenatchee World, WA)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/oct/27/chelan-pud-sees-little-sizzle-in-2010-budget/

PUD 3 Commission Report for October 27, 2009 (Mason PUD 3)
http://www.masonpud3.org/newsdisplay.aspx?newsid=611

Avista Earns $8.1 Million for Quarter - Figures represent 9 percent increase in Q3 (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/28/avista-earns-81-million-quarter/

TransAlta Reports Higher Earnings (KELA Radio, Centralia, WA)
http://www.kelaam.com/pages/localnews?TransAlta-Reports-Higher-Earnings=1&blockID=84101&feedID=410

NW Natural to Reduce Rates (Portland Business Journal)
http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/10/26/daily24.html?ana=from_rss

Little Consensus at States Energy Meeting in Wyoming (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/california/ci_13653758

Hanford - Energy Department Releases Massive Document Outlining Cleanup Options (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/6100-energy-department-releases-massive-document-outlining-cleanup-options-hanford/

West Virginia Intends to Issue Coal-to-Gas Plant Permit (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2010145546_apuscoaltogasolinewestvirginia.html?syndication=rss

Coal, Oil, Biomass Plants - Denmark's Dong Energy to shut two power station units on low demand (Power Engineering)
http://pepei.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ONART&PUBLICATION_ID=6&ARTICLE_ID=370452&C=INDUS&dcmp=rss

STACK O’ STIMULUS

Obama Putting $3.4 Billion toward A ‘Smart’ Power Grid (Associated Press)
http://www.wenatcheeworld.com/news/2009/oct/27/obama-putting-34-billion-toward-a-smart-power-grid/

Oregon Gets $30 Million in Stimulus Funds for Smart Grid Projects (Oregonian)
http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2009/10/oregon_gets_30_million_in_stim.html

Snohomish PUD Will Use Federal Grant Money for Power Grid Innovations (Everett Herald, WA)
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20091028/NEWS01/710289757/-1/RSS02

$20 Million Awarded for Avista Upgrades (Spokesman-Review, Spokane, WA)
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/oct/28/20-million-awarded-for-avista-upgrades/

Idaho Power Notified of Selection for $47 Million Smart Grid Investment (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS10886+28-Oct-2009+PRN20091028

Stimulus Energy Dollars: More Than Just a Jump Start (KEPR-TV, Tri-Cities, WA)
http://www.keprtv.com/news/local/66713457.html

PNGC on the List - Electric Coops Receive $215 Million for Smart Grid Investments (Electric Light and Power)
http://www.elp.com/index/display/article-display/4309727913/articles/electric-light-power/policy-and_regulation/2009/10/electric-coops_receive.html

WECC Gets $53.8M Grant to Improve Western Grid; SRP Part of Effort (Phoenix Business Journal)
http://phoenix.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/10/26/daily24.html

FISH & WILDLIFE

Oregon - Salmon on the Run: Largest Salmon Run In Nearly A Decade Floods Sandy Hatchery (Sandy Post, OR)
http://www.sandypost.com/news/story.php?story_id=125668937512179500

FDA To Ban Sale of Raw Oysters from Gulf of Mexico (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2010146441_apusfdaoysters.html?syndication=rss

WATER & THE ENVIRONMENT

Asotin PUD - Sewer Service another Detail to Work Out for Industrial Park (KLEW-TV, Lewiston, ID)
http://www.klewtv.com/news/local/66233062.html

Corps Maps Show Green River Flooding Scenarios (Seattle Times)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010146443_greenmaps28m.html?syndication=rss

Ocean Acidification’s Effects Documented in New Study of Shellfish (Yale Environment 360)
http://e360.yale.edu/content/digest.msp?id=2117

RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE ENERGY

Profit Jumps for Wind Turbine Maker Vestas (Portland Business Journal)
http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2009/10/26/daily22.html?ana=from_rss

FPL Power Line May Complicate Texas Wind Growth (Reuters)
http://www.reuters.com/article/rbssIndustryMaterialsUtilitiesNews/idUSN2720856420091027

3TIER Expands Geographical Coverage of Most Advanced Solar Map & Dataset (Renewable Energy World)
http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/partner/3tier/news/article/2009/10/3tier-expands-geographical-coverage-of-most-advanced-solar-map-dataset?cmpid=rss

CONSERVATION & EFFICIENCY

Grant PUD Discusses Energy Conservation (Columbia Basin Herald, Moses Lake, WA)
http://www.columbiabasinherald.com/articles/2009/10/27/news/doc4ae76453cf853733176619.txt

Why It’s Better To Invest In Efficiency Than to Hold Electricity Rates Down (Grist)
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-10-27-better-to-invest-efficiency-than-hold-electricity-rates-down/

CLIMATE CHANGE SEQUESTRATION VAULT

Administration Steps up Efforts on Climate Bill (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/us/politics/28climate.html?hp

A Nuclear Power Boost for Bill - Wooing Lawmakers: Tax incentives offered with climate measure (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/27/AR2009102704081.html?wprss=rss_politics

EPA Proposes Tougher Pollution Controls - Narrows target group to power plants and other sources that emit at least 25,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/27/AR2009102701772.html?nav=rss_email/components

BARREL O’ GREEN POTPOURRI

US Chamber Sues Activists over Climate Stunt (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/10/27/27greenwire-us-chamber-sues-activists-over-climate-stunt-50982.html

TECHNOLOGY & TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Flu-Wary Telecommuters May Clog Web Networks (Washington Post)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/27/AR2009102703743.html?nav=rss_email/components

Comcast Still Fighting FCC Throttling Sanction - Insists FCC didn't have authority to act (Broadband Reports)
http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Comcast-Still-Fighting-FCC-Throttling-Sanction-105183

Ask.com Owner Reports Quarterly Profit, But Ad Revenue Still Slips (Associated Press)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13650994

Google to launch free phone-navigation service (San Jose Mercury News, CA)
http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_13654403?nclick_check=1

GENERAL NEWS

Heavy Rain on the Way (KIRO-TV, Seattle)
http://www.mynorthwest.com/?nid=11&sid=231736

South Carolina Gives First Nod To Package Meant To Lure Boeing (Associated Press)
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010145804_apscsouthcarolinaboeing1stldwritethru.html?syndication=rss

Poll Finds Washington Voters Leaning Against I-1033 (Puget Sound Business Journal)
http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/10/26/daily15.html?ana=from_rss

Investigation Finds No Tribal Authority for Detention of Shelton Hunters at Gunpoint in Brinnon (Peninsula Daily News, Port Angeles, WA)
http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20091028/news/310289993

Seven Billion in Recovery Dollars Flowing to Washington State (Oregon Public Broadcasting)
http://news.opb.org/article/6095-seven-billion-recovery-dollars-flowing-wash-state/

Tri-Cities Has State's Lowest Cost Of Living (Tri-City Herald)
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/kennewick_pasco_richland/story/768509.html

California Would Lose Seats under Census Change (NY Times)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/28/us/politics/28census.html?adxnnl=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&adxnnlx=1256749218-bRNTd86O1QWC62FFxGY1XA

ALLIGATORS IN THE SEWER - DIVERSIONS

Shriners' Mini-Cars Stolen From Storage
http://www.kirotv.com/automotive/21432889/detail.html

Cheated Winner Wants Texas Lotto To Pay Him
http://www.kirotv.com/money/21447807/detail.html

Idaho Team Punished For 'Strip Hockey'
http://www.kirotv.com/sports/21442265/detail.html

Woman Acts Like Dog To Scare Burglar
http://www.kirotv.com/news/21430873/detail.html